Munshi Abdur Rouf ( bn, মুন্সী আবদুর রউফ; 8 May 1943 – 8 April 1971) was a
Lance Nayek in the
East Pakistan Rifles
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
during the
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...
. He enlisted in the East Pakistan Rifles on 8 May 1963, and was attached with a regular infantry unit during the War of Liberation. Rouf died on 8 April 1971 at Burighat in Chittagong Hill Tracts after causing extensive damage to the Pakistani Army with his machine gun and forcing them to retreat. He was buried at Naniarchor Upazila in
Rangamati District
Rangamati Hill District ( Chakma:𑄢𑄋𑄟𑄖𑄴𑄳𑄠 ;) is a district in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chattogram Division, and the town of Rangamati serves as the headquarters of the district. By area, Rangamati is ...
.
He was awarded
Bir Sreshtho
The Bir Sreshtho ( bn, বীরশ্রেষ্ঠ; ), is the highest military award of Bangladesh. It was awarded to seven freedom fighters who showed utmost bravery and died in action for their nation. They are considered martyrs.
The other ...
, which is the highest recognition of bravery in Bangladesh.
Early life
Munshi Abdur Rouf was born on 8 May 1943 at Salamatpur village (renamed Rouf Nagar)
under Boalmari thana (currently Madhukhali thana) in
Faridpur District
Faridpur District ( bn, ফরিদপুর জেলা) is a district in south-central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. It is bounded by the Padma River to its northeast. The district was named after Farīd-ud-Dīn Masʿūd, ...
. His father Munshi Mehedi Hossain was an "
Imam
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...
" at a local mosque and his mother was Mukidunnesa. He had two sisters, their names were Zahura and Hazera. After his father's death in 1955, Rouf had to stop his education at the eighth grade. He joined the
East Pakistan Rifles
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
on 8 May 1963. He had to increase his age three years to get the job. After the preliminary training at the EPR camp at
Chuadanga
Chuadanga ( bn, চুয়াডাঙ্গা) is a prosperous city in the western part of Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous cou ...
, Rouf went to West Pakistan to receive advanced training. He was appointed to
Comilla
Comilla (; bn, কুমিল্লা, Kumillā, ), officially spelled Cumilla, is the fifth largest city of Bangladesh and second largest in Chittagong division. It is the administrative centre of the Comilla District. The name Comilla was ...
after 6 months.
Death
The East Bengal Regiment wanted to restrict the Pakistani Army from using the Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway. Thus, they camped at both of the Chengi Lakes at Burighat. Rouf was serving as a soldier in this company. To prevent the Pakistani Army from using the
Rangamati
Rangamati (Bengali: রাঙ্গামাটি;) is the administrative headquarter and town of Rangamati Hill District in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The town is located at 22°37'60N 92°12'0E and has an altitude of . The distr ...
-Mahalchari waterway, the Regiment constructed a camp at both sides.
On 8 April 1971, the Pakistani Army attacked the
Mukti Bahini
The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...
s defensive position with 7 speed boats and 2 launches. Their mission was to drive the Mukti Bahini away from the waterway of Rangamati and Mohalchari. Pakistani forces managed to disorient Mukti Bahini by coming closer to them and firing heavily. In the meantime Pakistanis surrounded the freedom fighters and managed to isolate nearly 100 of them. Rouf realised the threat to the entire company. So, he crawled forward to his trench and continuously fired towards the enemies with his automatic machine gun. As a result, the Pakistanis dragged their launches back to a safer place and resumed firing from there. Suddenly a
mortar hit Rouf directly and he was immediately killed. Rouf's valiant effort helped his company to survive as his act saved nearly 150 soldiers of the Mukti Bahini on that day.
Legacy
Bangladesh Rifles College was renamed
Bir Shrestha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College in
Pilkhana in 2014. A monument for Rouf was built by Engineering Construction Battalion (ECB-16) at Shalbagan, midpoint of the Chittagong-Rangamati road, Sapchhari. A high school in Manikchari Muslim Para, Mahalchhari,
Khagrachari
Khagrachari ( bn, খাগড়াছড়ি) is a district in the Chittagong Division of Southeastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region.
History
The Chittagong Hill Tracts was under the reign of the Tripura Sta ...
has been named after him. A cricket stadium has been named in
Sylhet
Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate an ...
after him.
A college in
Faridpur was named after him, which was nationalised by the Government.
Gallery
File:Shahid Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rauf Bir Shreshtho Mausoleum at Burighat, Naniarchar, Rangamati-View from North-4.JPG, Shahid Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rouf Bir Shreshtho Mausoleum at Burighat, Naniarchar, Rangamati-View from North
File:Shahid Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rauf Bir Shreshtho Mausoleum at Burighat, Naniarchar, Rangamati-View of island from North.JPG, Shahid Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rouf Bir Shreshtho Mausoleum at Burighat, Naniarchar, Rangamati-View of island from North
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rouf, Munshi Abdur
1943 births
1971 deaths
Bangladeshi military personnel
People killed in the Bangladesh Liberation War
Recipients of the Bir Sreshtho
Honorary Fellows of Bangla Academy
Mukti Bahini personnel